"BELLA" is the perfect name for this beautiful, deeply moving story about a day in the life two New Yorkers. It's a romantic drama that manages to be tender, funny, heartbreaking, and uplifting without straying down the same clichéd path you've been a hundred times before.
SYNOPSIS
The movie centers around Nina (Tammy Blanchard), a young, unmarried waitress at a Mexican restaurant who finds herself pregnant and out of a job after coming in late to work several days because of morning sickness. Jose (Eduardo Verastegui) the restaurant's chef is taken by Nina's plight and becomes her sole confidant. Jose helps her walk through her decision on what to do with her pregnancy. In the process, he bears secrets from his own mysterious past, which reveal his tenderness and passion for her and the child she is carrying.
REVIEW:
The main ingredient in this award-winning film is "charm”. Everyone is pretty likable, there's a lot of emotion and the characters are very realistic The film beautifully shows the power of a good family. Jose has a caring and loving Mother, Father, older brother and younger brother. With these relationships, it is easier for Jose to try to do the "right" thing than it is for Nina, who comes from a dysfunctional and tragic family.
Each scene blends perfectly into the next , creating and weaving an intricate and detailed story without being self indulgent. The actors make choices that are simple yet powerful. Every character lets their humanity show in a way that causes the audience to fall in love with them throughout the course of the movie. Both the story and the characters are realistic and every scene of the movie is packed with truth. Audiences can see aspects of their own lives and situations in every scene of this masterfully composed story.
I thought that one area of the movie that really stood out was the concept of true manhood -- the idea of a man being one who is strong enough to know and stand firm for what is right, but who is willing to bend his own wishes and desires to serve those around him who need help. That is rare to find these days, especially where most men are portrayed as womanizing slacker hedonists.
Stylistically, newcomer director Alejandro Monteverde does a superb job pacing the story -- combining just the right amounts of character, humor, and mystery into a package that satisfies on multiple levels -- intellectually, visually, emotionally, symbolically, etc. The photography -- shot in and around the streets of Manhattan and Long Island -- is top notch and the editing, relying heavily on jump cuts, keeps the story moving along in multiple time frames to great effect .
Eduardo Verástegui and Manny Perez both turn out strong performances, but the women of Bella are the real standouts. Tammy Blanchard's emotionally honest portrayal of a young woman dealing with an unexpected crisis and Ali Landry's brief cameo as a distraught young mother are compelling and stay with you long after you've left the theater.
This is, without exaggeration, the most inspirational, moving film I have ever been fortunate enough to see. This is love- not self-gratifying sexual passion or a friendship built on lies and deception, but true, unselfish, indiscriminate love. Love not because of the benefits or conveniences one might reap, but simply because we are human, and should love each other simply because we are, giving every life the dignity it deserves.A very powerful piece of cinema. No wonder this rookie work shocked all the big name pictures to win the top prize at Toronto Film Festival.
Title : Bella
Director : Alejandro Monteverde
Cast :Eduardo Verástegui , Manny Perez ,Tammy Blanchard
Rated PG for thematic elements and brief disturbing images.
Country:Language:
English | Spanish
DVD FEATURES :Commentary with director Monteverde: Behind The Scenes
Behind the Journey of Distribution
Trailers
TORRENT FILE NAME : Bella.2006.DvDRip.XviD-JFKXVID
